At the Pub
by Jack Borroughs
Summary: Skinner is at the pub, getting drunk, when he get's a visit by an unusuall man.


Hello again! While battling writers block with 'The Men From Hell' and 'The Safe Hands…' I decided I'd this one. Read.Enjoy.Review.

'I wish It'd all end.' thought a strange looking man, whom we know as Rodney Skinner, as he sat in the Ten Bells pub in Whitechappel London, a distance away were the east London docks, where the Nautiulus was docked and Nemo stood issuing orders to his crew, Sawyer was surely off somewhere shooting something while the scientists, that being Dr Jekyll and Mina were off getting chemical supplies.

So there he was, back at his old stomping ground, on a rainy afternoon, on his way to intoxication, all be his lonesome. This was his haven, where everyone knew his name, but that was years ago, when he was Visible, now he was an odd looking, extremely white, bald fellow, the patrons made sure to stay at bay from him, and was contemplating his life and future with an occasional sip of the pub's special: Sour Beer.

'What for?' thoughts Skinner, 'Why stay with that pack, sailing the seas for months, working for a government I dislike? What's the good of it? It's not like I get paid, and we sure get not as much as a thank you note. I sometimes wonder if I'd died, would they give me a proper funeral, or would just rise to sea level and dump the corpse. They probably would.'

Skinner detested his fellow Leaguers on some level, all the time it was, 'Skinner, Shut up!', and they rarely ever give weigh to his opinion, all they wanted him from him was to endanger his life all the time, and get naked and sneak into places and gather intelligence. 'Why in the name of Hell do I still hang around with them?'

Well, he did have hopes of shagging Mina one of these days, and there was the Antidote promised by MI5, but he was safer to bed a ravenous tiger, and he remaining Invisible was in the interest of MI5.

"Another one, bartender" he called, and the short bartender came in to pour the sour bear into his glass while staying the farthest he could from him.

"Good afternoon."

Skinner turned to his left to see a young man in hid twenties sit on the barstool next to him, he was handsome and charming, but not the type of charm that was false and was meant to seduce innocent women, it was a natural charm, he had long locks of Auburn Hair that neatly hung to the back of his neck, he had a trimmed beard, and brown eyes, he was dressed like a commoner, like the hundreds of middle class workers of London, black trouser, black shoes, black coat and a white shirt, yet they were all very clean, and come to think of it, there was a feminine air to him.

"Hello." answered Skinner.

The young man was silent for seconds, till the bartender came and asked what he wanted; he said he was waiting for a friend who will be there shortly.

"Is it still raining outside" asked Skinner, who wasn't really interested, but wanted a little bit of conversation.

"It will be over soon." he answered with a gentle smile.

"How do you figure that"

"Let's say it's a guess."

There was moments of silence"Are you from here" asked Skinner, wanting to brake the silence again"You don't look like a Londoner."

"Actually, I'm from above."

"You mean north"

"That's a way to look at it."

"My name is Skinner, Rodney Skinner." said Skinner as he extended his gloved hand.

"Gabriel." said the young man as he shook hands with Skinner.

"Gabriel" mused Skinner, who always thought the name Gabriel was more of a Girl's name.

Skinner took a sip of his drink.

"Would you like a drink"

"No, thank you" said Gabriel"I don't drink."

"I don't drink."

"How come"

"It's complicated."

"Say no more." said Skinner, imagining the man was addicted to drinking in the past and eventually kicked the habit.

"So, Gabriel, what do you do"

"Many things, I'm sometimes a solider, I occasionally sing, but for the most part I'm a messenger."

"So, that's what you're here for, you have a message for that friend of yours"

"You're right on the money." said Gabriel"How about you, what do you do for a living"

'Why, I'm a gentleman thief!'

"Take a wild guess."

"Are you a government agent, or a thief"

'That's a very good guess.'

"Actually I'm an Undertaker." said Skinner, which was hte first thing on his mind, not wanting to tell Gabriel that he was right, which was astounding in itself.

Skinner took a gulp and banged his glass on the bar, ordering the bar to refill, he was loosing interest in Gabriel and getting back to his depression.

"You seam troubled" said Gabriel"Is something the matter"

"I don't want to bore you."

"I am not easily bored, tell me."

'What the Hell...'

"It's just... life is... well, bullocks."

Skinner sighed and sipped form his refreshed drink"I mean, I keep doing a risky job, and there is nothing that comes back from it, I could be dead anytime I'm on the job, and there is no good money, no recognition, nothing"

"How risky could undertaking be" asked the bartender curiously.

"Sod off" barked Skinner.

The bartender left muttering curses, while Gabriel spoke to Skinner,

"It seams to me that you're not really convinced that what you do is necessary."

"Sometimes..."

"Well, maybe you will be rewarded a greater reward than money or recognition."

"Like what"

"Think about it."

Skinner pondered for moments"I've got nothin'."

"Must people feel that way" said Gabriel"But there is one greater than all, who appreciates what you do, greater than all the morals you work for and with."

"Who"

"God."

Skinner silently stared at Gabriel for seconds before smirking and asking"You wouldn't be wanting to guide me back to Christianity, would you? Be my earthly savior"

"Not really."

Gabriel rested an elbow on the bar and looked straight at Skinner"I don't think you should run to the nearest church and beg for forgiveness, I just suggest you have more faith."

Skinner looked away"You don't understand, I used to do terrible things, I've took what was not mine, ruined women reputations."

"Well that's very bad, but what's truly Devine about our lord, is that it takes only a pure decision to redeem yourself, you don't have to atone for all your bad deeds, you only have to devote yourself to a pure destiny-altering decision to renounce all evil ways. Do you get what I'm saying"

"There were some really big words in there, and I am rather drunk, but I get what you're saying. I don't have to make up for all I've done, I just have to want to." said Skinner, who suddenly felt a warmness inside him, and it seamed like the place had gone brighter, he was feeling better.

"And what's the greater reward"

"That you have to figure out on your own." said Gabriel as he stood up to leave"Goodbye."

"Are you leaving"

"Yes I am, I have other messages to deliver."

And he steadily walked out the doors of the pub, leaving Skinner alone in there, to think about the greater reward in question, Would be in some sort of afterlife, or was it in the knowledge that he was a guardian of freedom for people he didn't know, and after a while of contemplation, Skinner grew tired and decided to leave, and he got up, paid his bill and walked out, and on the wooden floor he saw something peculiar, a long golden feather.

'What a dump, they should clean more often'


End file.
